The marketing of, for example, beverages such as soda or beer as well as other consumable goods in a plurality of containers which are packaged together is well-known. Typically, beverages are sold in packages of 6, 12, or 24 individual containers which are intended to consumed at a temperature which can be maintained only through the use of ice when no other refrigeration source is available. Consumers are typically required to remove the containers from the package in which they are purchased and place them in a cooler or ice chest to which ice is added to maintain the desired temperature of the product in the containers.
Attempts have been made to provide packages which expand to hold ice and keep beverages or other food commodities in individual containers chilled. U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,923 to Graser describes a carton which is expandable to accommodate ice to keep beverages or other contents chilled. Likewise, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,844,299 to Kessler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,337 to Krieg, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,359 to DoMars et al. all disclose packages adapted to hold both ice and beverages or other food commodities which are packaged in individual cans or bottles.
All of the above attempts at providing a combination container/cooler fail, however, to incorporate an essential feature of such packages. In particular, none of the disclosed methods or devices of providing a combination package/expandable cooler disclose or suggest the drainage holes necessary to make the packages a viable means of shipping canned products.
In particular, when beverages are contained in aluminum cans, leakage of the product contained therein or of the water which can condense on the containers when chilled must be drained to prevent corrosion which can perforate neighboring cans containing other beverages. If a carton in which the cans are packaged does not provide for drainage, the packages typically cannot be used for shipping due to the corrosion caused by condensation and/or leaking containers. Furthermore, even where perforation of neighboring cans is not an issue, it is desirable to allow for drainage of condensation and/or leaked contents to minimize contamination of the exterior of the other containers in the package. For the above reasons, currently used packages all incorporate drainage holes at the comers of the packages to provide for drainage of liquids which have leaked from containers.
None of the known attempts at providing packages which can also function as coolers provide for the required drainage to make the packages viable for shipping. In fact, each of the prior references described above requires that the containers in the package be located within a waterproof bag or that the inside of the package be lined to provide a waterproof compartment. As a result, any condensation and/or leakage of product from the containers is retained in close proximity with the surrounding beverage containers which would increase the corrosion and perforation of those containers as well as provide ideal conditions for the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria which thrive in humid environments.